Work vehicles, such as wheel loaders, include an implement with which to perform work during operation of the work vehicle. The implement is typically located at one end of the work vehicle. Large covers or hoods are typically used to enclose the motor of the work vehicle, and are positioned at the opposite end of the work vehicle. A counterweight may be positioned near the end of the work vehicle adjacent the motor, which counterweight may be configured to receive a towing apparatus, such as a hitch pin assembly.
It would be desirable to limit the overall length of the work vehicle. However, reducing the length of the work vehicle to the extent the hood overlies a portion of the hitch pin assembly would prevent removal of a conventional hitch pin assembly with the hood in its normally retracted position (i.e., pulling the hitch pin assembly vertically upward from the counterweight). Additionally, such a work vehicle arrangement would prevent current hitch pin assembly manipulation between a hitched position and an unhitched position without risk of damaging the hood and/or inadvertently losing the hitch pin assembly during operation.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a hitch pin assembly compatible with an overlying hood that would also permit manipulation of the hitch pin assembly between a hitched position and an unhitched position without raising the hood, and without risk of damaging the hood and/or inadvertently losing the hitch pin assembly during operation of the work vehicle.